Combined strainer basket and drain valve for sinks



J1me 1950 K. R. MARCUSSEN 2,512,867

COMBINED STRAINER-BASKET AND DRAIN VALVE FOR SINKS Filed Feb. 15, 1948 Inventor /WarM Attorneys Patented June 27, 1950 UNITED. S ATES mm.s me;-;.

Kenneth. R ;Marcussen, Waterbury, Conn.', as-n signor to Chase Brass &. Copper 00. Incorprated, 'Waterbury, Conn., a corporation Application February 13, 19 48, SerialNo. 8,200

v1 Claim. (c1. i' 2s7)"'.f j

The present invention relates in general to waste-pipe fittings and more especially to an im.-. proved valve-plug and strainer-basket for the body-fixture of a sink drain.

An object of the invention is to provide a superior valve-plug and strainer-basket assembly which is economical to manufacture.

A further object of the inventiongis to provide a sanitary valve-plug and strainer assembly wherein the assembly constitutes an integrated unit having no movable elements-and, hence, no separable joints or bearings in which foreign matter and refuse may collect. I

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved valve-plug and strainerebasket assembly for insuring optimum drainage characteristics when the valve-plug is open.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure, this invention includes all features in the said disclosure which are novel over the prior art and which are not claimed in any separate application. I

In the accompanying drawings, in which cer-. tain modes of carrying out the present inventio are shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section of a waste-pipe fitting, including the body-fixture and the improved valve-plug and strainer-basket assembly of this invention, the valve-plug being shown seated on the valve-seat of the body-fix ture;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view taken on section line 22 of Fig. 1 of the shank of the valve- 1ug;. p Fig. 3 is a perspective sectional-view showing substantially one-half of the strainer-basket; the section being taken on a major diameter of the basket; 1

Iliig. 4 is a plan view of the strainer-basket assembly;

Fig. 5 is a. front elevation in perspective of the valve-plug; and

Fig. 6 is a front elevation in perspective cap for the shank of the valve-plug. In carrying out the invention, the improved valve-plug and strainer-basket assembly is shown mounted in a body-fixture III which maybe of the type which is formed from a'single slugby a suitable forging operation as described in detail in Patent No. 2,169,896 to W. J. Gazey'dated August 15, 1939, and comprises an upper cupshaped body-portion II of relatively-large diamof the eter and a lower throat-portion I2 of relatively-- small diameter. The .cup-shapedmodY-portion 56' II 'is. intended for the purpose of receiving the strainer-basket of the fitting; as will hereinafter appear, the upper end of the body-portion II- of the body-fixture being formed with a radiallyextending annular flange I4 adapted to engage the surface of a sink (notshown) surrounding a drain-opening therein. During the forging of the body-fixture. I0, atransverse wall is formed in thetthroat-portion I2 thereof which is subsequently sheared. away or otherwise removed to formv a: drainage-passage I5 provided with .a spiderv consisting. of three supporting-ledges I6. The latter intersect atthe center of the drainageepassage- I5 :and extend radially outwardly therefrom at angles of substantially to each other,- the outer ends of the supporting-ledges beingintegral with the annular wall ofi the drainage-passage. As shown especially well in Fig; 1, .the aforesaid supporting-ledges .IB are formed ,in the lower throat-portion I2 of the body-fixture below the intersection of its upper. end with the. lower end of the upper cup-shaped body-portion. I I of the fixture, the point of inter-' section of the upper and lower portions of the fixture constituting an annular valve-seat I'l. Subsequent operations on the body-fixture I I) producethe external. threads I8 on theupper body-portion for the reception of a suitable clamping-nut or the. like, in the usual manner of. waste-pipe fittings; and exterior threads I9 on thewthroat -portion I2 soas to adapt the latter to be threaded into a drainpipe-coupling or the like.

Referring more especially to Figs. 1, 3 and. 4, the improved strainer-basket is indicated generally at 20 and comprises a cup-shaped member preferably formed of stainless steel and having atits upper end anoutWardly-projecting annular flange 2I., the outer edge of which is adapted to engagezfreely within the upper end of the bodyfixture. The-usual drainage perforationsn are provided in both the bottom and side walls of the strainer-basket. In addition to these perforations,.a central aperture 23 is pierced through the bottom '24 of the strainer-basketand the surrounding metal is drifted or otherwise bent upwardly to form an integral annular stabilizingcuil or-collar 25 (see Fig. 3), projecting upwardly into the basket substantially perpendicularly to the plane of its bottom. By way of illustra tion only, the vertical height of the annular cuff 25 is substantially one-third the diameter of the central aperture 23 in the. bottom of the. basket, but it will be understood that the proportions may vary for different sizes of fixtures. The inner cylindrical wallof the annular cuff 25 OQIlm stitutes an extended stabilizing-surface for the shank of the valve-plug.

The valve-plug is indicated generally at 26 in Fig. 5 and comprises a substantially-disk-shaped body 21, the periphery of which is formed. with an annular beveled face 28 adapted to seat on the valve-seat ll of the body-fixture to close the drainage-passage I5, asindicated inFig. 1. The

upper surface of the body of the plug is slightly convex and is necked down to form a concentric:

Projecting upwardly substanr tially vertically from the center of the neck-portion 29 f the plug-body is a-post or shankflkthe diameter of which is less than thediameter'of the neck 29, thereby forming an annular substan--- l0 substantially-cylindrical neck-portioni29. ofref-. 7 duced diameter.

tially-square shoulder 3| on theitoplthereofz The;

, outside diameter of the plug-shank 30 is slightly larger than the inside diameter of the stabilizing cuff 25 of the basket and, consequently, the plugshank::is" adapted to. engage in the: cuff with a tightlfriction or force'fit and: thereby fasten the. basket: securely to the. valve-plug.v Moreover; to insure a. rigid nonrotatable. connection between thebasket and the valve-plug, the shank-Alibi the plugis provided with longitudinal: serrations I 32, as indicated especially well in Figs:.2 and-; which bite into the wall of the cuff astheplugshank is forced therethrough'. When/so assemtbled that portion of the bottom of the basket which circumscribes its'centralaperture 23, seats: squarely on the; annular shoulder. 31: of: thetpl'ug while; the. shank of. the plug extends'upwardl'y above. the upper edge 33fofthe basketecufiilito provide abearing-surfacefor aLshankFcapM; By

way of illustration, for satisfactory performance;

the length of. the plug-shank is substantially equal to its diameter and. is substantially foun times the. height of. the basket-cuff, as a consequence of which a major portion of the plugshank extends above the upper edge 33 thereof:-

Theshankecap 34 is indicated especially-:welhin' Figs; 1i and 6 and comprises alcylindrical stainless-steel 'thimble. substantially twice? the length; of the plug-shank and adapted to fitomthezupa wardly-extending-z bearingesurface thereof with l a tight friction or force fit.. Tothls end, .t'newin ternal diameter. of: the: thimble. is substantially.

equal. to the internal diameter of the baskets-cuff 25 so thatthe internal wall:of'the;thimble?will be grooved also and,.hence, lockedtto-the shank will: present a. substantiallyacontinuous surface; that is to say, the joint between-the cufii' and the .thimble-will be so very tight. as to. present: no:

recess or shoulder for the accumulationof refuse or the? like. The upper end of the thimble'iis closed by a slightly enlarged cylindrical headsjportion 36; the exterior walls of which are-formed with: annular corrugations 31-? which; constitute.

finger-grips to facilitate. lifting and lowerin'githe: basket and plug assembly vertically 'irr' the-body:-

Proj ecting downwardly-from the: underside of the. plug is a plurality ofrpositioning-lugau; the: number. of. lugs ccrrespondingioi the: number of; supportingeledges Ill-m.theithroateportion oi the TI; cap beingiegual': to the outside diameter: of! said,

4 body-fixture. More particularly, each lug projects downwardly from the underside of a diskshaped protuberance 39 formed integrally or otherwise provided on the underside of the plug, concentric with the center thereof. The diameter of the disk-shaped protuberance 39 is shown as being substantially one-third thediameter of the plug, the downwardly-extending projections 38 being located at the periphery of the diskshaped protuberance and spaced circumferential- 1y-- thereonat. substantially to each other.

I When it is desired to permit waste water to drain outwardly through the fitting, the valveplhg i's-lifted by grasping the head 36 of the thilnble and?v pulling upwardly thereon so as to lift bothxthe valve plug and the basket upwardly inthebo'dy-fixture. The assembly is then rotated sufiiciently to cause the positioning-lugs 38 to rest-upon the three supporting-ledges it of the spider. As a consequence, the valve is opened and wastezwaterz'is permittedto' flow freely down the drainage-passage I5; When, however, it is desired to prevent the egress of water through the waste-fitting, the valve-plug is rotated, by grasping the; finger-grip: of the thimble and. rotating: both the basket and: the plug. until the positioning-lugs 38 of: the latter. come into registry withthe spaces or. gaps :between: the supportingledges ofv theaspider -whereupon" the plug willbe freetodropby gravityand seatagainst thevalveseatllili of th'ebody fixture, as shown inFig. 1..

The provision .of an.integralstabilizingecufi. in the strainer-basket: for: making a. tight. friction fit with the .shanktof the:,plug-1constitutes1 a relatively: simple: and: inexpensive method of fabrication and: one which in conjunction with the stainless-steehthimble for. covering the upper BX: posed encb. of; the. plug-shank; providesv ahighly sanitary-r constructiomfree; of any. joints or bearingesurf aces 'in; which; foreign matter may collect. Moreoveraby locating the projecting-lugs onithe undersiderofithe plug-1 adj acent' the center thereof, as distinguished from its outerperiphery, the lugs arezsubstantially within: the; hollow vortex of; the drainagez-waterras ..it.:passes down into the. drain-l pipe and, hence; ofiers no: obstruction: whatsoevem to:the"free flow 'of the: water, thus insuring optimum drainage. performancewhen: the valve is:-open..

The invention may. becarried out in other specifidwayszthan those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential char.- act'eristics. of: the invention, and. the present embodiments; are, therefore, to be considered in; all respects as illustrative and not restrictive; and all changes: coming within" the. meaning. and equivalency. range 7Of1th3i appendedclaim are in? tended tovbe embraced therein.-

I claim:

Inra waste-pipe'fittingz. alstrainer-basket-having a bottom provided with a central aperture; a flangecircumscribing' said central aperture, said flange having an upper edge. lying, in a plane above; the bottom of said strainer-basket; a valve-plug; a, shank projecting. upwardly from sa-idtvalve-plug and arranged" to extend upwardly above.-the.upper= edge of.saidannular flange of said central aperture; fastening-means comprising. longitudinal; serrations on..said shank; arranged: to: bite: into: the: walls of: said; flange to secure said plug; to said .basket'iwith. a tight nonrotatablesfit; and; anz'inverted: cups-shaped cap adapted: to: engage? over: the upwardly-extending end: of said? shankathe: outside" diameter of: said .5 flange, the inner wall of said cap being arranged to make a force fit over the longitudinal serrations of said shank to firmly secure said cap thereto with the bottom edge of said cap in engagement with the upper edge of said annular 5 flange thereby to form a tight circumferential joint therewith which intersects the substantially-flush peripheral surfaces of said cap and flange in a transverse plane above the bottom of said basket.

KENNETH R). MARCUSSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 816,856 Gartsnore Apr. 3, 1906 928,9 1? Dawson July 27, 1909 1,157,666 Bennett Oct. 26, 1915 1,760,659 Pasman May 27, 1930 1,773,547 Robertson Aug. 19, 1930 2,090,299 Kuhnle Aug. 17, 1937 2,278,566 Schaible Apr. 7, 1942 

